Free media vital for peace in South Asia
There is no alternative to a free media with independent sources for ensuring peace in the South Asian region, speakers at a roundtable said yesterday.
“Media has to be allowed to perform its role independently for establishing peace in South Asia,” said Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, editor of the recently closed Bangladesh Observer.
Emphasising building independent sources, Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Chairman Prof Rehman Sobhan said newspaper or electronic media houses should develop own independent sources for covering international events.
South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA), an associate organisation of the South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation (Saarc), arranged the roundtable titled “Media and South Asian Cooperation” marking its 10th founding anniversary at the National Press Club.
Rehman Sobhan said different news agencies or governments have their own interest over the events that take place in their countries, and they offer structured information to serve their purpose.
On covering such events, he stressed that a media house sends its own correspondents to obtain independent information on what actually happened in the field.
New Age Editor Nurul Kabir said media should serve people's interest.
SAFMA President Reazuddin Ahmed, Centre for Development Research, Bangladesh's (CDRB) Founder Chairman Mizanur Rahman Shelly, Bangladesh Mahila Shangbadik Forum President Rasheda Amin, and The Independent Editor Mahbubul Alam spoke at the program, among others.
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